Tractor.



PATENTED MAR. 12, 1907.

F. BBADLE.

TRACTOR.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 18, 1906.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES No. 846,772. PATENTED "MAR. 12, 1907.

F. E. BEADLE.

v TRACTOR. APPLICATION FILED DEG.18, 1906.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

luvznTon WITNESSES Y I xwum PATENTED MAR. 12, 1907.

F. E. BEADLE.

TRACTOR.

APPLIQATION FILED DEO.18,1906.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

gs'ilgb.

Mr W

WITNESSES PATENTED MAR. 12, 19071 IF. 2. BBADLB.

TRACTOR.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 18.1906.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

WITNESSES the other frame.

STATES ATE FTCE. I

TRACTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 12, 1907.

Application filed December 18, 1906- Serial No. 348,487.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1,. FRANK EDWARD BEADLE, Assoc. Inst. C. 11)., a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at London & County Bank, Westminster, 1n the county of London, England, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Tractors, of which the following is a specification.

it has been proposed to construct selfpropelled vehicles with two frames articulated together by a perch-pin which takes the place of the ordinary perch-pin of one frame and is situated over the rear axle of The latter carries the motor and is the front frame in running, the vehicle-body being carried by the rear frame. In some constructions of this kind the articulation between the frames has been a universal oint.

The present invention relates to a construction of this kind in WlllCll the front frame may be similar in most respects to that of an ordinary motor-car or traction-engine, but is made so that its rear part can be readily substituted for the lore carriage of an ordinary vehicle or of a vehicle made with this object. For this purpose a pin or pillar is arranged at the rear part or the frame of the tractor, preferably over the rear axle. This pin may be adjustable in height and carries at the top some form of universal joint, whereby is monnted on the pin a turntable or a turn-plate. The l ore carriage of the vehicle having been removed, the plate that normally turns on the turn-plate of this fore carriage is attached to the universally-jointed turn-plate carried by the tractor-frame. Where necessary, a system of springs may be interposed between the universal joint and the tractordramc. W hen the tractor is to be removed from the wagon or carriage while this is still loaded, trestle-legs or the like, which may be hinged to the wagon or carriage or otherwise carried, may be introduced beneath the wagon or carriage to support it while the turn-plate is detached and the tractor is in use elsewhere. In order that the pin or pillar may be supported on springs independently of the springs that carry the frame of the tractor, it is preferably mounted on a bar which is transverse of the tractor-frame and is suitably guided therein, so that it can move up and down on springs carried by the axle independently of the usual tractor-frame springs. As it is desirable that the pillar should be in the vermoved.

tical axial plane of the rear wheels, the rear axle of the tractor is specially constructed to accommodate it.

The prererred form of universal joint requires two pillars .of the kind described, and in the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, it is this lorm that is depicted. I

bigure l is a part elevation of a tractor a, carrying a plate I), in which has been inserted a pm a to attach the under plate 0 of a wagon 0 whose fore carriage has been re- FigJZ is a sectional front elevation of the rear axle of the tractor, the right-hand half of the figure being in section on line 2 2 of Fig. 3. l ig. 3 is a sectional plan of the rear axle, the right-hand half being in section on line 3 3 of big. 2. Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the rear axle, the left-hand half of the figure being partly in section on line 4 4 of ldig. 3 and the right-hand half on line 4 4 of the same figure. Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively a section and a plan showing a modification of the node of supporting the plate I).

The rear axle is a casting consisting of two channel-irons d, spaced apart and united at each end where the axle is turned up to form a bracket 6, having a bearing for the wheelspindle e and having an arm a which car ries the driving-pinion e gearing with a toothed circle 0 on the wheel in known man-- ner. The axle also carries eyes d for bolts e that attach to the axle the usual plate-springs e, which support the tractor-frame The latter has horn-plates f, guided in hornblocks :1 which are a part of the casting constituting the axle,

At the middle part of the axle each chan nel-iron d is expanded ,to form a web (1 car-- rying two laterally-projecting cups d. These Webs are bolted together, as at d, and form a guide, to which reference will presently be made. Q

Guided in horns carried by the horn-plates f of the tractor-frame f is a transverse beam 9, east in one with which are laterally-projecting inverted cups g, which register with the cups d on the webs (1 Between each registering pair of cups is a helical spring it. Also cast in one with the beam 9 are two tubes 9 which extend through the beam and are united at their lower ends by plates 9 adapted to slide in the guideprovided by the webs d. At its upper end each of the tubes 9 is expanded to provide a shoulder for supporting a nut 5,

spondingly-threaded spindle k, which exworking on a cone tends into the tube g".

Adapted to turn in twoworms 1 in gear, respectively, with worm-wheel teeth cast, on the periphery of' --the'nuts '11. When a suitable crank fitted to the squared end l of shaft Z is turned, the

nuts'i are rotated and the spindles is raised or lbwered'.- i

The top of each spindle 7c is formed as a bearing is .for a, trunnion m, turned on the endof a casting m, having a circular hole through its middle part for accommodation of a short cylinder n,[trunnions n on which are sup orted in bearings Tr ton the'casting m. Bo ts m serve to retain the trunnions n in place. The cylinder n forms a bush for a central cylindrical flange b of the plate b.

'The latter carries onits under surface four guides b forfthe ends of plate-springs o,

' should be capable of turning on its axis. For

this purpose theconstruction shown in Figs. 5 and 6 may be adopted, wherein the springs .0, corresponding. with the springs 0 of the OQIIStIllOtlOIljUSt described, are curved and carry on their ends rollers q, bearing against a circular. path 1" on the under surface oi plate I).

In the foregoingillu stration of the invention the universal joint is mounted in such a manner that it can be adjusted in height sothat the tractor may be adapted to haul any 1 one of a number of. vehicles ofdifierent build.

'When' the tractor is to be used for hauling an one of a number of vehicles of the same build, it'is not essential that the height of the universal joint abovethe tractor-frame should be adjustable.

Having thus described the natureof this invention and the best means I know of carrying the same'into practical effect, I claim---- "1. A tractor for hauling vehicles comprising a support,"a -"universal joint mounted on the said supportand a turn-plate mounted on the said universal joint.

2'. "A tractor for hauling vehicles comprising a support, means for adjusting the height of the said support, a universal joint mounted on the said support and a turn-table mounted on the sai unii'ersaljoint.

3. A tractor for hauling vehicles com ris-' ing a rear axle diverted from the axial p ane of the wheels. a support mounted in the said v bearings g", fixed or integral with the tubes 9 is a shaft Z, having axial plane, means for adjusting the height of the said support, a universal joint mounted on the said support and a turn-table mounted on the said universal joint.

4. A tractor for hauling vehicles comprising a rear axle, two channel-irons spaced apart'and united at their ends constituting the said axle, a support mountedon the said axle and guided between the said channelirons, means for adjusting the height of the said support, a universal joint mounted on the said support and a turn-table mounted on thesaid universal joint. v

5. A tractor for-hauling vehicles comprising a rear axle, a support, springs carrying the said supportandcarried by the said axle, a universa joint mounted on the said support and a turn-plate mounted on the said universal joint.

6. A tractor for hauling vehicles comprismg a rear axle, a support, springs carryingthe said support and carried by the said axle,

means for adjusting the height of the said support, a universal joint mounted on the said support and a turn-table mounted on the said universal joint,

7. A tractor for hauling vehicles comprising a'rear axle, a tractor-frame, springs car-- rying the said tractor-frame and mounted on the said axle, atra'nsverse beam guided in the said tractor-frame, springs carried by the said axle andcarrying the said beam, a support mounted on the said beam, a universal joint mounted on the said sup ort and a turn-plate mounted on the sai universal joint.

- 8. A tractor for hauling vehicles comprising a rear axle, two pillars mounted in the axial plane of the said axle, means constituting .a universal joint carried by the said pillars and a turn plate mounted on the said universal joint. 9. A tractor for hauling vehicles comprising a rear axle, two pillars mounted in the axial plane of the said' axle, a casting, trunnions on the said casting, bearings on the said pillars to receive the said trunnions, a

cylinder, trunnions on the said cylinder at right angles to its axis, bearings on the said casting to receive the said trunnions on the said cylinder, a turn-plate and a cylindrical central'flange on the said turn-plate adapted to fit the said cylinder. 10. A tractor for hauling vehicles comprising a rear axle, two channel-irons. spaced apart and united at their ends constituting the said rear axle, a tractor-frame, a transverse beam guided in the said tractor-frame, springs carried by the said axle and carrying the said beam, two tubes carried by the said beam and guided between the said channelirohs, a nut'supported at the upper end of each of the said tubes, worm-teeth on the pe riphery of each nut, a screw-threaded spindle'adapted to work in the said nut and ex;

tending into the said tube, a shaft adapted to be rotated, two Worms on the said shait gearing with the worm-teeth on the two nuts re-,

spectively, means constituting a universal joint mounted on the said spindles and a turn-plate carried by the said universal joint.

1 1. A tractor forhauling vehicles comprising a rear axle, two channel-irons spaced apart and united at their ends constituting tne said rear axle, a tractor-frame, a transverse beam guided in the said tractor-frame, springs carried by the said axle and carrying t e said beam, two tubes carried by the said beam and guided between the said channel irons, a nut supported at the upper end of each of the said tubes,'worm-teeth on the peri hery of each nut, a screw-threaded spindle a a ted to Work in the said nut and extending 'lIlilO the said tube, a shaft adapted'to be rotated, two worms on the said' shaft gearing with the worm-teeth. on the two nuts respectivel a casting, trunnions on the said casting, bearings on the said spindles to receive the said trunnions, a cylinder, trunnions on the said cylinder at right angles to its axis,

bearings on the said casting to receive the FRANK EDWARD BEanL-E.

Witnesses 1 J OSEPH WILLARD, W. J. SKEBTEN. 

